One Last Time

Today I am doing everything for one last time: going to morning report, doing ward rounds, seeing new patients, going to ART clinic in the afternoon, all for the last time at Lubwe Mission Hospital. The day doesn’t feel different from any other day. I spend the morning going between the male, female, and pediatric wards with one of the medical officers and reviewing one patient after another.

Late in the afternoon, after ART clinic has finished, I learn that the hospital administrator has planned a send-off party for me, at my place at the guesthouse tonight. After a quick packing job back at the guesthouse, I go out with my running buddy Anton for one last run – on our familiar route from Lubwe to Mashitolo and back.

Dan and Andrew are both nurses and star players on the Lubwe Medics soccer team.

Sidney and Christian are the numbers guys at the hospital

Cholwe: scrub nurse, clinic assistant, first aid nurse, and a damn good soccer player

Zulu is one of the clinical officers, and he likes his drinks

Teddy: nurse and cradle robber

After a shower, I eat my candlelight dinner for the last time. By 8:30 p.m., power finally comes back on and some of the hospital staff start to show up. We chat, we look at my photos, we take photos of and with each other. We eat, we drink, we dance in the courtyard under the starry night. I pop the champagne, make a wish, and open the send-off presents. The music from the stereo thumps into the wee hours – actually around midnight, but that’s the wee hours around here.

I am holding Dan's 6-month-old baby, Andy, and he doesn't seem to mind

Susan, the pediatric ward nurse, looks ravishing in her black dress and her bling

Saying goodbye with Dan and George

One last shot with Mokuka and Bennett the pharmacists before the evening is over

It’s time to get a few hours of shut-eye; I tuck the mosquito net under the mattress for one last time. Tomorrow will be a long day of bus ride to Lusaka.